We're relevant!

I remember way back in the dark ages that the ancient ones knew as March, we still thought we were a news company. Over the past few weeks, I've subconsciously started my explanation of what we're about with one word:

Relevancy.

The rest, as they say, is just details. Big devil-housing details, but not the forest.

And then tonight, is see that Fred Wilson hits the nail on the head (again):

Because I believe that relevancy is the next dimension and stored user preferences and data are the foundation of delivering it...

...It’s about understanding how the next 10-20 years are going to play out in technology and web services.

The Gotham Gal was looking for some stuff for the kids yesterday on the Internet.  She is one of the best Internet shoppers I have ever met. She knows all the best tricks of finding what she wants.

But she said to me that the Internet is getting really crowded these days.  There is so much stuff out there.

Information overload?  No, we were overloaded ten years ago.  What we are today has no word for it because we are too busy checking our non stop email deluge to think of one.

We’ve largely solved the “automate and process” problems. 

But we haven’t begun to scratch the surface of the relevancy problem.

I'm beginning to see that our local relevancy model is the big picture for us. Sure, we're going to do our damnedest to create a great local news and information service. And that's our only focus until the job is done or deemed impossible.

But there's a part of me that's beginning to think that what we really are is a relevancy lab. And if I'm right; and Fred's right, those lessons may be the greatest part of the value we create.